A Note on ODEs from Mirror Symmetry

We give close formulas for the counting functions of rational curves on complete intersection Calabi-Yau manifolds in terms of special solutions of generalized hypergeometric differential systems. For the one modulus cases we derive a differential equation for the Mirror map, which can be viewed as a generalization of the Schwarzian equation. We also derive a nonlinear seventh order differential equation which directly governs the instanton corrected Yukawa coupling.Comment: 24 pages using harvma

GKZ-Generalized Hypergeometric Systems in Mirror Symmetry of Calabi-Yau Hypersurfaces

We present a detailed study of the generalized hypergeometric system introduced by Gel'fand, Kapranov and Zelevinski (GKZ-hypergeometric system) in the context of toric geometry. GKZ systems arise naturally in the moduli theory of Calabi-Yau toric varieties, and play an important role in applications of the mirror symmetry. We find that the Gr\"obner basis for the so-called toric ideal determines a finite set of differential operators for the local solutions of the GKZ system. At the special point called the large radius limit, we find a close relationship between the principal parts of the operators in the GKZ system and the intersection ring of a toric variety. As applications, we analyze general three dimensional hypersurfaces of Fermat and non-Fermat types with Hodge numbers up to $h^{1,1}=3$. We also find and analyze several non Landau-Ginzburg models which are related to singular models.Comment: 55 pages, 3 Postscript figures, harvma

A Note on Computations of D-brane Superpotential

We develop some computational methods for the integrals over the 3-chains on the compact Calabi-Yau 3-folds that plays a prominent role in the analysis of the topological B-model in the context of the open mirror symmetry. We discuss such 3-chain integrals in two approaches. In the first approach, we provide a systematic algorithm to obtain the inhomogeneous Picard-Fuchs equations. In the second approach, we discuss the analytic continuation of the period integral to compute the 3-chain integral directly. The latter direct integration method is applicable for both on-shell and off-shell formalisms.Comment: 61 pages, 5 figures; v2: typos corrected, minor changes, references adde

Mirror Symmetry and Other Miracles in Superstring Theory

The dominance of string theory in the research landscape of quantum gravity physics (despite any direct experimental evidence) can, I think, be justified in a variety of ways. Here I focus on an argument from mathematical fertility, broadly similar to Hilary Putnam's 'no miracles argument' that, I argue, many string theorists in fact espouse. String theory leads to many surprising, useful, and well-confirmed mathematical 'predictions' - here I focus on mirror symmetry. These predictions are made on the basis of general physical principles entering into string theory. The success of the mathematical predictions are then seen as evidence for framework that generated them. I attempt to defend this argument, but there are nonetheless some serious objections to be faced. These objections can only be evaded at a high (philosophical) price.Comment: For submission to a Foundations of Physics special issue on "Forty Years Of String Theory: Reflecting On the Foundations" (edited by G. `t Hooft, E. Verlinde, D. Dieks and S. de Haro)

Holonomic functions of several complex variables and singularities of anisotropic Ising n-fold integrals

Lattice statistical mechanics, often provides a natural (holonomic) framework to perform singularity analysis with several complex variables that would, in a general mathematical framework, be too complex, or could not be defined. Considering several Picard-Fuchs systems of two-variables "above" Calabi-Yau ODEs, associated with double hypergeometric series, we show that holonomic functions are actually a good framework for actually finding the singular manifolds. We, then, analyse the singular algebraic varieties of the n-fold integrals $\chi^{(n)}$, corresponding to the decomposition of the magnetic susceptibility of the anisotropic square Ising model. We revisit a set of Nickelian singularities that turns out to be a two-parameter family of elliptic curves. We then find a first set of non-Nickelian singularities for $\chi^{(3)}$ and $\chi^{(4)}$, that also turns out to be rational or ellipic curves. We underline the fact that these singular curves depend on the anisotropy of the Ising model. We address, from a birational viewpoint, the emergence of families of elliptic curves, and of Calabi-Yau manifolds on such problems. We discuss the accumulation of these singular curves for the non-holonomic anisotropic full susceptibility.Comment: 36 page